Fabrication of Core-Shell Nanocolloids with Various Core Sizes to Promote Light Capture for Green Fuels.

Core-shell nanocolloids with tailored physical and chemical merits hold attractive potential for energy-related applications. Herein, core-shell nanocolloids composed of zinc/copper sulfide (ZnS/CuSx ) shells and silica (SiO2 ) cores were fabricated by a template-engaged synthetic method. Interestingly, the sizes of SiO2 cores can be tuned by different sulfurization time. In virtue of the light scattering and reflection on the SiO2 surface, the efficiencies of light capture by ZnS/Cu2 S shells were highly dependent on the SiO2 sizes. The as-fabricated SiO2 @ZnS/Cu2 S with a core size of 205 nm exhibited the highest and broadest absorption within a light wavelength of 380-700 nm. In virtue of the structural and componential features of these nanocolloids, maximum photocatalytic hydrogen (H2 ) production rates of 2968 and 1824 μmol h-1  g-1 under UV-vis and visible light have been delivered, respectively. This work may provide some evidence for the design and fabrication of core-shell nanomaterials to convert solar energy to green fuels.